The San Francisco 49ers They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season. Unfortunately, They will have to face the rest of the campaign without one of their best players on defense.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced at a press conference that Safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and will miss the remainder of the season.. The good news for the player was that there was no damage to the meniscus.
The defender was injured in the third period of the duel against the Bucs. Hufanga tried to tackle Rachaad White, but the running back left him planted on the grass. Immediately, the safety was able to walk off the Levi’s Staff field. After the game against Tampa Bay, the USC graduate had 52 tackles, three passes defended and three interceptions.
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Who will replace Talanoa Hufanga?
Hufanga’s loss will be sensitive because he was a key element in the Niners’ defense. The two safeties behind him on the depth chart are Ji’Ayir Brown, who took his place against the Bucs, and George Odum.
Brown is a rookie out of Penn State. The safety was chosen in the third round of the last Draft. So far he has played 10 percent of the defensive snaps, but has been most active on special teams with 59 percent.
For its part, Odum is a six-year veteran, with an invitation to the Pro Bowl, who has 12 tackles, mainly on special teams. So far, he has only played 37 defensive snaps.
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